A public adjuster is a licensed claims professional who represents the homeowner, not the insurance company, in documenting, valuing, and negotiating a property insurance claim. When a Florida home claim comes back denied or underpaid, that representation can change the outcome. Continental Adjusters is best known for complex commercial and large property losses, and it handles residential property claims in Florida only, so this guide is written for Florida homeowners. The insurer’s initial decision explains its position on the claim and can be reviewed against the policy and supporting evidence.
You paid premiums for years, reported the damage on time, and still received a denial letter or a check that will not cover the roof. That gap hurts, especially after a hurricane, when contractors are quoting repairs well above the offer. Most homeowners read their policy closely for the first time at this moment, while the home insurance claims adjuster assigned by your insurer reads policies every day.
This guide explains what a public adjuster home insurance claim review covers, the Florida rules that shape every claim, and the records that carry the most weight. You will also see a real denial that was overturned, what professional help costs under Florida law, and answers to 12 homeowner questions. Use it to decide your next move before you accept the offer or give up on the claim.
Why Florida Home Insurance Claims Get Denied or Underpaid
Insurers deny or reduce claims for a short list of reasons: exclusions, wear and tear arguments, late notice, and estimates that miss part of the damage. Under Florida law, the insurer must pay or deny a claim within 60 days after receiving notice. It must also give you a written explanation of the policy basis for a payment, denial, or partial denial. That written explanation is where your response begins.
Underpayment is harder to spot than denial. The check arrives, but the estimate behind it uses low unit prices, skips line items, or pays for a patch where the damage calls for full replacement. Florida insurers must send you a copy of their adjuster’s detailed estimate within 7 days after it is created, so ask for it if it has not arrived.
Hurricane claims add two Florida-specific issues. Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, so the insurer may argue that rising water, not wind, caused the damage. Many policies also carry a separate hurricane deductible that can be a percentage of the dwelling limit, which takes a larger share of the first payment than a flat deductible.
The table below matches the most common reasons with the response that addresses each one. Every response rests on evidence, not argument. Keep this table next to your denial or payment letter as you read it.
| Reason Given | What It Means | How to Respond |
| Policy exclusion | The insurer says the cause of loss is not covered, such as a slow leak | Read the exact exclusion and check whether a covered cause started the damage |
| Wind vs. flood | The insurer says storm surge or rising water caused the damage, not wind | Document roof, window, and wall openings that show wind damage came first |
| Wear and tear | The insurer calls the damage old or maintenance related | Tie the damage to a specific event with dated photos and an expert inspection |
| Late notice | The insurer says the claim was reported too late | Show the date of loss and when you reported it, measured against Florida’s deadlines |
| Missing documentation | The insurer says the proof of loss is incomplete | Submit organized photos, receipts, estimates, and a signed proof of loss |
| Low estimate | The payment uses low prices or a narrow repair scope | Compare the insurer’s detailed estimate line by line with a contractor estimate |
| Depreciation and code items | Payment holds back depreciation or leaves out code upgrades | Check your replacement cost and ordinance or law coverage terms |
Records That Strengthen a Denied or Underpaid Claim
Evidence decides disputed claims. A clear record makes a low line item harder to defend and a denial harder to keep. Start collecting these items as soon as you can.
- The full policy, including declarations and endorsements
- The denial letter or written payment explanation
- The insurer’s detailed estimate
- Dated photos and video of all damage
- Contractor estimates and repair invoices
- Receipts for emergency repairs, tarping, and water removal
- Notes of every call and email with the insurer
- Storm reports or engineer findings tied to the date of loss
Services Behind a Public Adjuster Home Insurance Claim Review
A disputed home insurance claim can involve repair pricing, policy language, and the cause of the damage. The services below address different parts of that dispute. A homeowner can start with one service and add others as the dispute develops.
Public Adjusting
A licensed public adjuster inspects the home, reviews the policy, documents covered damage, prepares a detailed estimate, and negotiates with the insurer.
Appraisal and Umpire Services
Appraisal resolves disagreements over the amount of a covered loss through independent appraisers and, when needed, an umpire.
Expert Witness Services
Expert witnesses explain the cause, scope, and value of property damage in plain terms when a claim dispute moves toward litigation.
Who Should Get a Second Look at a Florida Home Insurance Claim
This review fits Florida homeowners with a full denial, a partial denial, or a check that falls short of contractor quotes. It matters most after hurricanes and major storms, when wind, water, and roof damage overlap in one claim. It also fits second homes and seasonal homes, where damage can sit unnoticed for weeks before anyone reports it. Five signs point to a claim worth reviewing.
- The denial letter cites an exclusion without explaining how it applies
- The insurer blames flood when wind opened the roof or windows first
- Contractor quotes run well above the insurer’s estimate
- Line items for roofing, drywall, flooring, or code upgrades are missing
- Hidden water damage appeared after repairs started
How Continental Adjusters Helps Florida Homeowners Answer a Denial or Low Offer
Answering a denial or a low offer takes someone who reads the policy, inspects the home, and builds the evidence with equal care. The firm works only for policyholders and handles complex property losses across more than 40 states, and it brings that same approach to residential claims in Florida. The points and steps below show how that work applies to your claim.
Why Florida Homeowners Choose This Team
1. Hurricane claim experience: the firm’s claim record includes losses from Hurricanes Laura, Ivan, Katrina, and Wilma, so storm damage is familiar ground.
2. Florida rules built into every review: each step is checked against Florida’s notice deadlines, the insurer’s 60-day pay-or-deny rule, and the state’s public adjuster fee limits.
3. Proof for every denial reason: technical inspection equipment and a close policy reading are used to answer each reason the insurer gave in writing.
4. Representation that answers only to you: on every adjusting file, the team is hired by the homeowner and represents only the policyholder, never the insurance carrier.
How the Claim Review Works
1. Match the letter to the policy: Each reason in the insurer’s written explanation is compared with the exact policy language it relies on. This shows whether the reason holds up or rests on a narrow reading.
2. Inspect the home again: A fresh inspection records damage the first visit missed, including the attic, roof decking, framing, and moisture behind walls. Photos and measurements are dated and tied to each room.
3. Rebuild the estimate: Every damaged item is priced on its own line with current local costs. The new estimate is compared line by line with the insurer’s detailed estimate so each difference is explained.
4. Submit a supplement or dispute: A complete package with the new estimate and evidence goes to the insurer with a clear request. Florida allows 18 months from the date of loss for a supplemental claim, so this step is planned around that deadline.
5. Use the dispute options: When the insurer still disagrees on value, appraisal can settle the amount. Florida also offers a state mediation program for residential claim disputes, and coverage disputes can move to legal counsel.
Cost and Value: How Public Adjuster Fees Work on a Florida Home Claim
A public adjuster costs nothing up front: the fee is a percentage of the claim payment, set in a written contract before work begins and paid only from money recovered. The ceiling on that percentage is set by Florida law. The fee may not exceed 10% of claim payments for claims based on an event covered by the Governor’s state of emergency declaration and made during the year after that declaration, or 20% for claims not tied to a declared emergency. No fee may be charged on the deductible.
Three further limits protect the homeowner. If the insurer pays, or commits in writing to pay, the full policy limit within 14 days of the loss or within 10 days after the public adjuster contract, the fee on that payment is capped at 1%. A public adjuster cannot take any fee on money the insurer paid, or agreed in writing to pay, before the contract was signed. On a reopened or supplemental claim, the fee cannot be based on any earlier settlement or claim payment for the same cause of loss.
Florida lets homeowners cancel a public adjuster contract without penalty within 10 days after signing. If the contract is based on an event covered by a declared state of emergency, the cancellation window is 30 days after the date of loss or 10 days after signing, whichever is longer. Before signing, confirm the percentage, the services included, and how the fee applies to a supplemental claim. Each of those terms belongs in the written contract.
The value of professional claim support depends on the size and complexity of the loss, the completeness of the documentation, and the difference between the insurer’s estimate and the documented repair scope. A small claim with a clear cause can be settled directly with the insurer. A denial or a wide gap between estimates is where an independent review adds evidence the first adjuster did not collect.
A real denial shows how that evidence works in practice. A school district’s insurer denied its claim for water damage beneath a gymnasium basketball court. The firm reviewed the claim and the policy, used technical equipment to prove a broken pipe caused the damage, and identified facts the insurer’s review had missed. The denial was reversed, and the insurance proceeds covered replacement of the gym floor.
This was a school building, not a home, but the same problem shows up in houses: water damage hidden under floors or behind walls, where proving the cause decides whether a denial stands. The case is documented in the school district’s published testimonial. Every claim is different, and no firm can promise a particular result.
Florida Home Insurance Claim Questions Homeowners Ask
How does a public adjuster help with a home insurance claim?
A public adjuster inspects the damage, reviews the policy, builds a detailed estimate, and negotiates with the insurer on your behalf. The public adjuster works for you, while the home insurance claims adjuster your insurer sends works for the insurance company.
How long does a Florida insurer have to pay or deny a home claim?
Florida insurers must pay or deny a claim, or part of it, within 60 days after receiving notice. The insurer must also explain in writing the policy basis for its decision.
How long do I have to report a home insurance claim in Florida?
Florida law requires notice of an initial or reopened claim within 1 year after the date of loss. A supplemental claim for additional damage must be reported within 18 months after the date of loss.
What is the difference between a denied claim and an underpaid claim?
A denied claim receives no payment for all or part of the loss, while an underpaid claim is paid below the documented cost of repair. Underpayments are challenged with detailed estimates, and denials with policy language and cause-of-loss evidence.
How does a hurricane deductible work on a Florida home policy?
Hurricane deductibles apply only to hurricane losses and can be set as a percentage of the dwelling coverage limit. Your declarations page shows the amount, which is subtracted before the insurer pays for covered hurricane damage.
What is recoverable depreciation?
Recoverable depreciation is the part of a replacement cost payment the insurer holds back until repairs are finished. Once you send proof that the work is done, you can request that withheld amount.
How much does a public adjuster cost in Florida?
Continental Adjusters works on a contingency fee set in a written contract, within the limits Florida law allows. State law caps public adjuster fees at 20% of claim payments, or 10% for claims from a declared emergency during the year that follows, and bars any fee on money the insurer paid, or agreed in writing to pay, before the contract.
Can I still talk to my insurer after hiring a public adjuster?
A Florida homeowner who hires a public adjuster stays the named insured, can still speak with the insurer, and decides whether to accept any settlement. The public adjuster handles inspection, documentation, and negotiation, and reports each insurer response back to the homeowner.
What if repairs are done or I already cashed the insurer’s check?
Cashing a partial payment does not by itself close a Florida claim, and completed repairs can still be documented through invoices, before-and-after photos, and contractor records. A supplemental claim for additional damage can be filed within 18 months after the date of loss, and no public adjuster fee may be charged on money paid before the contract.
Will hiring a public adjuster make my insurer treat me worse?
Licensed public adjusting is a recognized part of Florida’s claim process, and insurers work with licensed adjusters every day. A well-documented claim is judged on its evidence, not on who presents it.
Should I go straight to a lawyer instead?
Legal counsel makes sense when the dispute involves bad faith or is heading to court. Many denied or underpaid claims are resolved earlier through a supplement, appraisal, or mediation, and expert witness support is available if a case does reach litigation.
What happens if the review does not recover anything more?
Continental Adjusters is paid only out of money recovered under its contingency agreement, so no recovery means no fee. Florida law also bars a fee on amounts the insurer paid, or agreed in writing to pay, before the contract, so those amounts stay yours in full.
Before You Accept a Denial or a Low Check on Your Florida Home
A denial letter or low payment is the insurer’s first position, and you have the right to answer it with evidence. If your contractor’s numbers and the insurer’s estimate do not match, or the denial reason does not fit what happened, a second review can show where the claim stands. Continental Adjusters can review your policy, letter, and estimate and explain your options before Florida’s deadlines close. Request a claim review.
